BANG!
Photographer: Blackeyeview
1. What significant life experiences or events have influenced and shaped your artistic vision?
I was always loved pop culture. It definitely started when I would watch MTV with my older brother, learning about music and the outside world. My love for music and my friends really pushed me to get into the music scene and photograph underground shows. I remember my first backyard show where the frontman pulled me into my first mosh, it was in that mosh a random guy with a hotdog costume elbowed me in the eye and gave me a black eye. I loved it. The expression and the freedom of it. I want to show the beauty of people and what they can be. That’s how I got my name.
2. Collaboration often sparks fresh creativity. Can you share an example of a collaboration that led to an unexpected and exciting artistic outcome?
I once worked with a woman who goes by the name of Bunni. Our difference in experience was drastic at the time as I knew basically nothing about the professional world. I could tell the years of experience she had as a model. She would switch between poses effortlessly and make suggestions that would make the photos better. This forced me to expand how I think and what to do with every aspect of the shoot. I started thinking to myself, how about this angle, How about a tighter shot, why not put this in frame? I started thinking deeper about my work, and she brought that out of me.
3. Walk us through a specific project that challenged your creative boundaries. How did you approach it, and what did you learn from the experience?
I was once preparing an editorial shoot in a studio where I planned meticulously on how I wanted to set up the lighting. It’s funny how there are such little things a person forgets that can affect the entire project. I tend to shoot at night, but this time it was in the middle of the day. What I didn’t know was that a massive beam of light was coming through industrial sized windows. It completely ruined my original lighting, I just had to change the plan. The end result actually turned out to be even better than expected. Being an artist means to make mistakes on the way, but playing it off. Another lesson is that you never know everything. Without my mentors I wouldn’t be able to pivot like that. That’s why it’s so important to have the right people around you.
4. In the ever-evolving art world, what do you believe sets your work apart and makes it unique or groundbreaking?
What’s most important in your work is to let yourself be honest, learn, and evolve with time. I know I’m not better or worse than anyone; they have their own path and their own style. Studying and figuring out what you're into is important, it’s how you learn what you are. My work is who I am and who I’m becoming as a person. I will be the best version of myself, no matter what people say. I never intend to be unique or groundbreaking, I just am who I am doing what I love, and if anything gets in the way I’ll just tear it down or find a way around it. How that affects the world is up to them to handle.
5. As you reflect on your journey, are there any specific goals or milestones you've set for your artistic career in the coming years?
What I really want to get back into is doing film. I have a strong love for documentaries and short films, and I want to challenge myself to be a better artist. I also want to start hosting events to showcase artists' work. I’ve been helping organize a film festival with the studio I shoot most of my work in, The Photocoop. The Film Festival will be a part of the CASE STUDY 003 gallery in New Jersey which I’m excited for, and I’m planning on doing another gallery earlier next year. I want to bring people together to showcase them and their work.
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If you hold in who you are long enough, at some point you’re going to explode. Expression is one of the most basic needs in the human experience.
Even when falling into the norms, it’ll bleed out, and you can try all you want to hold it in.
You’re a ticking time bomb.
until one day….
BANG!
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Photographer: Blackeyeview
Assistant: Feli M
Photography Studio: The Photocoop
Model: Bellame Akuji
Makeup Artist/Hair Stylist: Ericka Medina